F L O R I D A
C I T Y S C A P E   German Garcia photo
According to the 2000 census, Titusville has a population of 40,670. In 1999 the per capita income for all of Brevard County was $24,282. The biggest employers -- surprise, surprise -- are connected in some way to rockets and shuttles and the highest of high-tech: United Space Alliance, Boeing and NASA itself. About 25 percent of the city’s workforce has some space-related job, estimates Chamber of Commerce President Paul Secor.
Later settlement was sporadic; families came, but few toughed it out. This was, after all, a frontier. Vacationers did visit a pretty spot on the Indian River called "Sand Point." A city on that site was founded in 1867 and named for Col. Henry T. Titus, who -- according to the legends -- won the right to name it in a domino match. Twenty years later, when it incorporated, Titusville was a thriving little metropolis: four stores, a post office, two hotels, a newspaper and 400 year-round inhabitants. Shortly thereafter, they had electric lights, an ice plant, a telegraph and service by Henry Flagler’s railroad.
The city’s history is still visible downtown, where 24 structures on South Washington Avenue and Main Street have been included in a National Register of Historic Places commercial district. Visitors can take a walking tour of the buildings, many of which date back to Titusville’s early heyday in the late 1800s.
The southern end of the beach is one of Florida's best surfing spots. Yes, we have waves in the Sunshine State. Bring (or rent) a board and take a rad ride, dude. Be warned: One stretch on the southern end, a place called Playalinda, has been -- and continues to be -- popular with nudists, despite a county crackdown. (For more information, see our Nude Beaches story). If this isn't something you care to see, there's plenty of national seashore, with the same sugary sand, just a little farther along.
Boating, either with a motor or paddles, is a popular pastime
for the locals. And if you're the type to wet a length of fishing
line, you can expect to find red drum or spotted sea trout on
the other end. Other species that might take the bait: snook,
tarpon and black drum. Going on an ecotour is a great way to learn about the natural
environment while you enjoy it. Here are a couple of good ones: --
Ace of Hearts Ranch: Eco-friendly horseback rides on trails
or the beach at Canaveral National Seashore. 321/638-0104. Other nature-loving options: -- Black Point Wildlife Drive: A
7-mile, one-way road through impounded marshes. Those who prefer
hiking can try one of the refuge's trails: Old Hammock (1/2 mile),
Palm Hammock (3 miles) or Cruickshank (5 miles). -- Jungle Adventures: A 20-acre park
and wildlife sanctuary with jungle cruise, gator feeding, Native
American village and more. In Christmas; 407/568-2885. -- Enchanted Forest. A small nature
sanctuary (393 acres) that offers a look at various habitats and
wildlife. South of Titusville; 321/267-7367. -- Airboat rides: OK, airboat rides are not exactly eco-friendly...but
they're really, really fun. A flat-bottomed craft powered by giant
fan blades, airboats don't need a lot of water. They just skim
the surface, and in this case, it's a good thing. They're able
to reach areas that other boats (even canoes or kayaks) can't,
which gives you a look at wildlife that folks who stay in mid-stream
never get to see. Be warned: they are loud and ear protection
is required. You do see a good bit of flora and fauna, but let's
admit it: we really do this because we like the wind in our hair.
Good places to experience this phenomenon include: -- Midway Airboat Rides, Christmas.
321/568-6790
Cocoa Beach, by contrast, is six miles of hard-packed sand lined by hotels, motels, condos, restaurants, cafes, ice cream shops, tattoo parlors, drug stores, beachwear emporiums and surf shops, including the granddaddy of them all, Ron Jon. This is an actual tourist attraction: 52,000 square feet of beach heaven where you can buy anything from a single postcard to a state-of-the-art long board any time, 24 hours a day. Outside, if it's a sunny weekend (heck, even when it's not) Cocoa Beach is wall-to-wall humanity. No South Beach, maybe, but still the Space Coast's party-hearty, see-and-be-seen spot. Be sure to stroll the 800-foot length of the Cocoa Beach pier, which is also a great place to stand (if you can muscle a space) on shuttle launch day. Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach So said Tom Wolfe in The Right Stuff, his epic story of the early days of the space program. He was describing the area in the late 1950s and early ‘60s, when it became both training ground and party town for the Mercury astronauts. How much of what Wolfe said is still true? Well, time hasn't turned what he considered a sow's ear into a silk purse. It's bigger than it used to be, and more commercial. But it's still no Miami Beach. The crowd -- and since Cocoa Beach is the closest strip of sand to Orlando, there is most definitely a crowd -- may not be "low rent" but it's not Palm Beach-quality either. Hamburger joints are still the prevalent culinary choice and there's still a Holiday Inn (where the flyboys used to party), but it's been joined by other chain hotels. The beach is still what Wolfe called "hardtack," but it's wide and great for catching rays. Surfing is now the preferred sport. "Cocoa Beach had begun to take on the raw excitement of a boom town," Wolfe wrote, "and the manic and motley cast of characters that goes with it." These days, residents are pretty normal. No wacky flyboys, not even the highjinks of I Dream of Jeannie (yes, this is where "Master" and Jeannie lived). The KSC folk who live in the area now tend to be family types. The tourist infrastructure that was thin in the Mercury days is big business now, especially during shuttle launches. But one thing has remained the same: party down, dude! Cocoa The place to see is historic Cocoa Village, site of quaint and trendy shoppes, better restaurants, historic buildings, a jazz fest in the spring and a craft fair (June 5-7). Take one of the walking tours, or pick up a map (available at the Brevard Museum of history and Natural Science, among other places) and do it on your own. Port Canaveral Three cruise lines,
with 5 ships offering 3-, 4- & 7-night cruises; and two gambling
ships
Let's be honest: This is not exactly a culinary hot spot. Still, you'll hardly go hungry. For more East Central Florida dining, check out our Dining listings. Titusville -- Kelsey's Pizzeria: Nothing fancy,
just a good neighborhood Italian joint with reasonable prices.
Two locations. 321/268-5555
(Titusville); 321/639-3333
(Port St. John). -- Harbor Lights Restaurant and Lounge:
Prime rib, steaks and pasta all the time; views of manatees and
dolphins frequently. 321/267-2244 If a launch happens to coincide with lunch, the places to be
are Paul's Smokehouse (321/267-3663)
or Fat Boy's Bar-b-q (321/267-3468)
on U.S. 1. With a clear dining-room view of KSC, you can gape
as you chow down. Cocoa -- Lone Cabbage Fish Camp: A Cracker
stronghold, Lone Cabbage is as much a cultural experience as a
place to consume necessary calories. We're talking catfish, frog
legs and gator, Bubba. 321/632-4199. Other choices: -- Black Tulip: Cocoa; 321/631-1133 -- Bernard's Surf: Cocoa Beach; 321/783-2401 -- Crab Heaven: Cape Canaveral; 321/783-5001 -- Moon Hut: Cape Canaveral; 407/868-2638 Lodging -- Holiday Inn-Kennedy Space Center (Titusville). You can watch a shuttle launch from your room (if you're willing to pay for it and book well in advance) or from out near the pool. 321/269-2121. -- Holiday Inn-Cocoa Beach. You can see the shuttle from here, too, though you're not as close. On the other hand, you're also on the beach, so pick your priorities. 321/783-2271. -- Best Western-Space Shuttle (Titusville). You're a couple miles farther inland, but still close to the action -- and closer to the highway. 321/269-9100. -- Fawlty Towers (Cocoa Beach). It's not a tower, but it is bright pink, which will get your attention, even though it is right next to Ron Jon. 321/784-3870. For something a little homier: Other choices: -- Crystal Lake RV Park. 321/268-8555 -- Indian River Bed & Breakfast. 321/269-5495 -- Ramada Inn and Suites-Kennedy Space Center. 321/269-5510 -- Numerous small mom-and-pop operations. They may not be flashy, but they're clean and often less expensive. Click here for more East Central Florida hotels and motels, resorts, and bed & breakfasts. |
History
Just
north of KSC is the 140,000-acre Merritt
Island Natural Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is home to more
than 500 species of wildlife and is a major wintering area for
migratory birds. There are more animals here than you can shake
a zoom lens at: bald eagles, great and lesser blue herons, pelicans,
rare reddish egrets, Florida scrub jays, red-tail hawks, gators,
manatees, various turtles, numerous snakes and, of course, opossums
and some really chubby raccoons. In fact, the refuge contains
more endangered and threatened species (16) than any other wildlife
preserve in the nation. It also has more than 1,000 plant species
within its boundaries. Click here for more about 
There are two sides to Port Canaveral -- a splashy, flashy, glitzy, fun leisure cruise operation, and a hard-working cargo terminal that handles produce and goods from all over the world.